Summary
Conodonts are comparatively rare in the Keisley Limestone, but the fauna includes a variety of forms, comprising 17 genera. Three of these genera,
Keislognathus
,
Rosagnathus
and
Strachanognathus
are new, and five new species are also described. The fauna is compared with others of a similar age, and the ranges and stratigraphical value of the conodont genera are considered.
Conodonts have been studied intensively for the last twenty years in the United States, but little attention has been paid to them in Britain. Digestion in acetic acid of some of the Lower Palaeozoic limestones of England and Wales has revealed the presence of at least four faunas. Conodonts from the Llandeilo Limestone of South Wales, the Gelli-grin and Pen-y-garnedd Limestones of North Wales and the Aymestry Limestone of Staffordshire and Shropshire are described. Four new genera,
Balognathus
,
Holodontus
,
Icriodella
and
Sagittodontus
, and a number of new species are described, and the conodont faunas are compared with those of a similar age from the United States. The value of the conodonts as index fossils is discussed.
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